This Week's Woodland Grocery Specials
Don't miss any of our "What's in Season" posts. Subscribe to the Will Forage for Food blog here. Chickweed is small plant, but extremely hardy. It is typically a spring plant in southern Michigan. However, in mild winters like this one, it will begin growing much earlier. The stem, leaves, and flowers can all be eaten, and the trailing mats of plants can be quickly and easily harvested. So go ahead, make yourself a fresh winter salad.
Young garlic mustard leaves will make a delicious accent to the chickweed in your salad. But now is also an ideal time to harvest the garlic mustard roots. The roots are delicious as a cooking spice. Dry and powder them and use like garlic or onion. Or clean the roots, mince very finely, and add vinegar or mayonnaise for a delicious horseradish-like condiment.
If you want a bit more exercise, you can harvest Burdock root. These roots can be anywhere from an inch wide to the size of your wrist, and are often three or four feet long. They are high in inulin and, if not fully cooked, can be difficult to digest. But when cooked, they are an excellent and very healthy vegetable. They are used like any other starchy root vegetable- stir frys, stews, roasted, slow cooked in a pot pie or casserole... just make sure that you cook them thoroughly.
Strawberry leaves stay green all winter long under the snow. So even if we had 3 feet of snow these little leaves would be under there, green and waiting for you. This year, finding green things to eat hasn't been all that difficult. But in a harsh winter, strawberry leaf tea can provide an essential boost of vitamin C to weary winter immune systems.
Fatwood. Yes, fatwood. Not every foraged item is edible. There are many non-food items that can also be found in our woods and fields. In cold, damp conditions like those we have had recently, the ability to start a fire can be essential for survival. And dry wood is extremely hard to find. But fatwood will burn even if damp, and can be used to heat and dry larger pieces of wood for a more robust fire.